Destined Tragedy (Book One of the Destiny Series)
by PotatoSoupYum
Summary: After one of the most dangerous and amazing adventures ever, Link has returned to his original time. His adventures aren't over, though. Can he and Zelda stop Ganondorf's attack? Or will their fate prove to be a tragic one?
1. The Place I Once Knew

I jolted awake. Was it... true? Everything I remembered about my life... Was it a dream, or reality? Had I really traveled through time, saving the Princess of Hyrule from the clutches of the King of Thieves?

I realized then that my heart was beating twice as fast as it should be. Just as if I'd woken up from a nightmare.

I threw my legs over my bed and ran to the doorway. Outside, the familiar bugs flitted about, glowing softly. Children were scattered around the gently sloping hills, talking, laughing, and playing games. The small ponds gently rippled as a cool breeze blew across the surface of the water. Sunlight beamed down, and out made the grass seem greener, the water seem clearer, and the whole place seem happier.

Oh, if only they knew what would happen...

I skidded down the ladder and was about to run for the bridge when I bumped right into Saria. Her face was glowing with the usual excitement.

"Hi, Link!" she said enthusiastically. "I just wanted to-"

"Sorry, Saria," I said, cutting her off, "but I really have to go."

She tried to speak again, but I ran around her and sprinted for the exit from the forest. Even if I did want to stop and chat, there was only a short amount of time before Hyrule fell into the hands of an evil so large that these children couldn't even comprehend it.

Suddenly, I noticed one of the Know-It-All Brothers blocking my way out.

"You can't leave!" he shouted. "Kokiri don't leave!"

I lifted my arms, about to scream in frustration, but then I clenched my hands into fists, let out an annoyed sigh, and whirled around to face the forest. Running again, I dashed into the Kokiri Shop and bought the Deku Shield with Rupees I'd found laying around, and then crawled through a few tunnels and nabbed the Kokiri Sword. Then, fully equipped, I showed my items to Mido quickly and pushed past. Soon, I stood face-to-face with the Great Deku Tree.

"Great Deku Tree, I-"

"Thou hast faced great trials, and thy path is clear," he boomed. "No further explanation is needed. Take my blessing, and find Princess Zelda. Perhaps, if thou art swift, my life might be spared."

"Thank you!" I breathed as I turned and ran for the bridge.

"The Great Deku Tree has allowed me to leave," I said, in a rush of words, to the boy blocking my way.

"Fine," he said in annoyance.

I was about to enter Hyrule Field when I heard a familiar voice.

"Link, please-"

I spun around to face her. "Saria, please, don't hold me up. I've got important things to do."

I left quickly and didn't look back.


	2. I'm the One

My feet pounded on the ground, in sync with my heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump. Over the hills of Hyrule I ran, following the crude dirt paths etched into the immense field.

Could we really prevent the rise of evil?

Did I arrive too late?

Would she even believe me?

It wasn't long before I stood at the edge of Castle Town's drawbridge. The faint sounds of urban life leaked out from the busy city that lay less than a mile from me. Those people... if only they knew their fate...

I crossed the bridge, and entered the town. Chattering crowds, children playing, and crowded markets made it impossible to get through. Knowing I was only a child, I weighed my advantages and disadvantages. I didn't have the face-or the height, for that matter-to get people's attention. But my small body made it possible to crawl on the ground, between people's feet. Dodging and darting, I made it to a spacious landscape, guarded by soldiers. They stood tall, surveying the land like hawks. Fortunately, I knew their one weakness-bribery.

"Sir?" I called to one of them.

He began to run toward me, a serious look on his face. I held up my wallet with a knowing smile, and he slowed down.

"Seventy-five?" he asked.

"Fifty."

"Sixty."

"Deal."

He went to the others and told them I was allowed in. Then I was escorted to the door of the castle that lay in the middle of the grass. Through the halls I went, emerging in the garden. Sprinting, I came to the inner courtyard, where the Princess was staring into the throne room. Hearing my footsteps, she froze, then whirled around.

"Who... are you?" she asked.

"Someone you need to listen to. I know about your dream."

She gasped. "What?! Are you some kind of stalker?!"

"No. I've come from the future, to warn you."

"Warn me? About what?" I noticed she didn't deny the possibility of time travel.

"You're right about Ganondorf. He really is the evil in your dream. And you're right to be looking for the boy with the green stone and the fairy. Thing is, I'm that boy."

"What? How? You don't have a fairy, or that stone! ...I'll trust you, if you can answer me one thing. What is the melody of the Royal Family?"

I reached for my ocarina, but only felt an empty pouch. Right, the Princess still had the Ocarina of Time, and Saria never gave me hers, because I brushed her off...

"I... I don't have my ocarina, Princess."

She laughed. "So what? If you know it, you can sing it!"

Frustrated and impatient, I quickly sang the eleven notes that had been etched into my mind.

"You... You really are the boy in my dream, come back to warn me!"

"Yes. And we need to stop Ganondorf, without the Master Sword. Hopefully, we can stop him before he-"

"Quiet!" she whisper-yelled. "He's right past that window!"

"Sorry," I said, trying to keep my voice down. "Anyways, we need to trick him somehow. He's trying to get at the Triforce of Power, right?"

"Yeah."

"If we can get your father to believe what I'm saying, then Ganondorf is a criminal. The punishment for treason is death! All I have to do is talk to the King!"

Her face lit up. "Really? You could do that?"

"Well... I might be able to. If I were sixteen-oh, nevermind. We only have seven days before Ganondorf's attack. Let's get started now."

And so I took her hand, leading her out of the courtyard and toward the end of a rising evil.


	3. Accusations

Zelda led me through the halls, effectively getting me lost. The castle was huge, and full of confusing twists and turns. We bumped into a few people, but they didn't pay any attention to us-we were just kids, after all. What they didn't know is that we were the last hope of Hyrule.

We finally reached the throne room. Zelda stepped forward and looked up at her dad.

"Hi, Daddy!" she exclaimed.

"Zelda, as precious as you are to me, I have other matters to deal with," he said quickly.

"What kind of other matters?" she said suspiciously.

"Important other matters! I'm a bit busy, could you come back later?"

It was then that Ganondorf himself emerged from the hall, smiling with sickly fake respect.

"Your Highness," he said, bowing down on one knee.

"Why, hello, Ganondorf," the King replied. "The children were just leaving."

Zelda glared at him, then dragged me out into the hall.

"What do we do now?!" she whisper-yelled.

"Hang on a second," I said.

I carefully made my way past her and into the throne room. Both men immediately noticed me.

"Why have you entered my presence? Without Zelda, you have no connection to the Royal Family." He sounded exasperated.

"Your Highness, if you might be so kind as to allow me to speak to you in private?"

"...Fine. After I'm done consulting with Hyrule's newest ally, I will call upon you."

"Now," I demanded.

His eyes narrowed. "What right do you have to demand things from the King of Hyrule?"

I clenched my fists, then blew out a sigh. No need to get angry.

"It's a matter of safety for your daughter. She is in grave danger at this moment."

His eyes widened. "Excuse me for a moment, Ganondorf."

The king then led me into a room down the hall.

"Your Highness-"

"Where's Zelda?" he asked frantically.

"Just hear me out, okay? She's not the only one in danger. Has she told you about her dream?"

He nodded.

"Well, it really is a prophecy. I'm a time-traveler, come back to my original time to warn you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the chosen hero of the goddesses. It's my duty to protect Hyrule."

"Protect us? From what?"

"Ganondorf plans to attack. Unless we stop him, Hyrule will be sent into a time of suffering. Zelda and I-"

I was interrupted by the sudden feeling of cold metal against my wrists. Then I heard a lock click.

"I had to hear you out," he said with disgust, "before I could be sure you were committing treason."

"Treason?!" I shouted.

"Yes. You've falsely accused a man who has looked me in the eye and pledged his allegiance to our nation." He looked above my shoulder. "Take him away."

Someone behind me began tugging at my chains, forcing me to move with them.

"THIS ISN'T RIGHT!" I shouted. "YOU'RE JEOPARDIZING YOUR OWN COUNTRY!"

The door slammed behind us.

In a few short minutes, I was alone in a dark and damp room. Locked away like a criminal, and sentenced to death.

I failed.


	4. The Law

How could I have been so stupid?!

Slam.

The country is doomed. It's my fault.

Slam.

Hyrule's hero? Yeah, right. My actions destroyed Hyrule.

Slam.

I kept on pounding the wall with my fists. It didn't really matter what I did to myself at this point, seeing as how I was condemned to death. My trial depended on the mercy of the King, not Zelda's side of the story, and I had no defending evidence whatsoever, unless memories counted.

My sore hands cried out in protest as I raised my fist yet again. This time, though, I let it fall, and sank into a corner.

"Done beating yourself up, kid?"

I looked up to find a guard leaning against the wall outside my cell. He looked about twenty, and a faint smirk lingered on his face.

"You get one letter to send to family and friends. One sheet of paper. Here." Through the space between bars, he held out a sheet of parchment and a jar of ink with a quill sitting in it. I moved closer to him, taking the supplies in my hands.

"Why are you being so nice?" I looked up at him, trying to puzzle out why he was acting like this.

"I don't think kids should be in jail. I don't know what you got in for, but you can't be older than ten."

I laughed grimly. "Supposedly, treason."

"Wait..." His eyes widened. "You're the guy who tried to get the Great Ganondorf executed?!"

I nodded. "He isn't so great, you know. He wants to overthrow the King."

The guard laughed. "How exactly did you get this information?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah. This should be interesting."

What harm could it do?

"Okay. Listen." I explained everything I'd been through, from the morning I met Navi all the way up to meeting with young Zelda again and failing to save the kingdom.

"And that's why the King wants me dead: I rushed into things."

The guard was obviously not buying my story. His stifled laughter, combined with the impression I gave him, elicited a sigh from me.

"You want proof?"

The guard nodded, a grin on his face.

I sang Zelda's Lullaby, and then the Song of Time. I recited all of the Legends of the Triforce from memory. And, finally, I showed him the mark of the Triforce, faint on the back of my hand. As each of my secrets was revealed, his expression went from amused to serious.

"Kid, that's some solid evidence. But I can prove it's false." He counted on his fingers as he spoke. "For one thing, I know for a fact you've already met with the Princess. That makes the songs just something you learned from her. Doesn't matter when. Second, only the Goddesses themselves know the legends of the Triforce; there's no way to know that you didn't just make up stories. Third, townspeople can get tattoos of the Triforce imprinted on their skin. Mostly the wealthy ones, but it's still a thing." A smirk fought its way onto his face. "You wouldn't last a minute in court."

I sighed. "See, that's what I mean. I'm clueless! I have no defense, no evidence, and nobody to support me but the Princess."

To my surprise, the guard nodded understandingly. "Why do you think I'm a guard? Civic service-that's my sentence. I was clueless, like you." He gestured to the parchment in my hand. "You'd better get writing, if you want that letter in the works by tomorrow."

"Well, thanks for listening." I smiled. "My name's Link, by the way."

"Aston." He returned my smile.

I went to writing my letter. Since Zelda would be present in court, and all of my other friends hadn't met me yet, that only left Saria. I cringed as I thought of her. Despite how I felt about her, all she knew was that I'd run off saying I had an important mission. Receiving a letter saying I'd been arrested would send her into a panic. Still, she deserved to know. I'd have to word it in an apologetic and regretful way, so that she'd know I was still her friend, and didn't really do anything arrest-worthy.

After I was done writing, I read over the letter.

"Saria-

I know I ran off without saying goodbye. I'm sorry I couldn't explain earlier. You're everything to me, and you know it. There's something you should know. I've been all over the country, several times. I'm a time-traveler. I've been sixteen. I've seen you achieve great things. I've also seen Hyrule fall to destruction. I'm the only hope for the future. But in my rush to prevent disaster, I've made a huge mistake. I've been arrested for treason against an ally of the King, and I'm sentenced to death. I'm sincerely sorry you had to find out about everything this way, and I'm sorry I can't explain everything, but I only have this one page to send to you. If nothing else, always remember, I love you.

-Link"

Satisfied, I handed the paper to Aston. He read over it, then looked back at me.

"Where's this going?"

"Southeast. The Kokiri Forest. Hylians can't get in, with the small exception of me, so you'll have to hand it off to a Kokiri. Tell them it's for Saria. They all know her."

Aston shook his head. "No. That's not what I meant. I knew Saria was a Kokiri, from your story. I was asking what exactly you thought was gonna happen."

"She really is everything to me," I said quietly. "She's the only one I feel like I can really trust in this world. She deserves to know. There's nobody to bail me out or anything."

He gave me a sympathetic look. "Maybe you'll be able to see her again."

"I doubt it." I laughed grimly as I traced the Triforce on my hand. "But thanks for the encouragement."

He folded up the letter and slid it carefully into an envelope. Without a word, he left.

I went back to punching the wall.

· · ·

"Up, Link!"

I groaned and rolled over. "Leave me alone," I mumbled.

"You can't skip out on your court date, kid."

At the mention of court, I sat straight up. Aston stood outside my cell, swinging a set of handcuffs in one hand.

"Ready?" He had the key in his hand, hovering next to the lock.

"Ready," I confirmed.

He slid the key into the lock, turned it slightly, and allowed me to step out before he locked my hands behind my back. He put a hand on my shoulder and led me through the castle, into the large and spacious courtroom. Everyone in attendance turned their heads to see me. Some gave me disgusted looks. Others shook their heads. I kept my head down as I took a seat before the justice.

"Well, aren't you the cutest little thing?" The elderly man on the podium smiled at me. "It's hard to believe you committed treason. But anyways." He cleared his throat, and the smile disappeared. "All rise in honor of King Frederick the Fifth, Supreme Ruler of Hyrule."

Everyone in the courtroom stood and bowed to the King, who sat next to the justice. I moved to do the same, but the looks I got were enough to send me back to my seat, slouched over even further.

"You may be seated." A loud chorus of shifting bodies echoed through the room.

"We stand in trial today to rule the accusation of Link Mato Kimura, who is under charge of treason. Will the prosecutor and legal accompaniment please stand."

Ganondorf and a man in a fancy outfit both stood, behind a table across the aisle from me. I barely caught the Gerudo's smug look before he sat back down.

"Will the defense and legal accompaniment please stand."

I stood up slowly, and the judge cocked his head. "No legal defense?"

I started to shake my head, but a hand touched my wrist. I looked over to see Aston taking a last step to stand by my side.

"Your honor," he stated, "I went to law school for three years. I'm pretty sure that means I can act as a temporary lawyer for the kid here."

"Fine. Young man, you are Link's legal defense for this trial."

We both sat down, and I turned to stare at Aston. "Why are you helping me?" I whispered.

He smiled. "I already told you. Kids don't belong in jail. Plus, I believe you."

We both turned to look at the justice, just as he was calling the man in the fancy clothes to present the case.

"We are all good Hyrulean people," he said, practically shouting. "And we all know that King Frederick the Fifth is wise and fair. So, when kids like him come around, claiming that the King's allies are treacherous-it only makes sense that there has to be a hidden plot. This kid is smart. His vocabulary and knowledge of the kingdom are outstanding! That makes him smart enough to plan a rebellion. Right? And we have evidence, as well. He snuck past the guards with little trouble to plant ideas in the head of our beloved Princess Zelda. Stealthy! He was working from the inside out. We are very lucky that a few of the guards stationed in the gardens overheard the conversation that the two children held. For another thing, he was raised in a peaceful forest village. His ideas of coexistence and civil behavior are very different from ours. It only makes sense that he would want to change the world to reflect the relative perfection his childhood held. Thirdly, his appearances lead people to automatically trust him. The baby face and blue eyes, they get people to drop their guard-and then BAM! The kingdom falls." Satisfied, the man returned to his seat.

The justice nodded, then looked over at Aston. "Would you like to make a rebuttal?"

"Yes." My temporary lawyer stood, cleared his throat, and began to speak. "I was standing guard outside this kid's cell while he waited for his trial. I was thinking, kids don't belong in jail, right? I started a conversation with him, you know, make him feel a little better-I mean, what is he, eight? Nine? So I start talking with him, and he gets to how he knows Ganondorf is a traitor. Of course, I'm thinking, this kid's crazy. Then, he says he's got proof. So I decide, whatever, I'll listen to him. No harm done, right? Then he tells me he woke up one morning to see a fairy in his face, telling him to see the guardian of the forest. He gets a sword and a shield, and talks to the guy. He gets some mumbo-jumbo about the fall of Hyrule, and the Triforce. Then he gets the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri Emerald. He goes to see the princess, she tells him to get two other stones. Easy, right? He saves the Gorons from starving, and rescues Princess Ruto of the Zoras. Then, suddenly, Ganondorf is chasing Princess Zelda out of the castle. She hands off the Ocarina of Time to the kid, rushes off, she'll never see him again. He uses the stones he has, and the Ocarina of Time, and opens the door in the Temple of Time. He pulls out the Master Sword. That's right, this nine-year-old kid can hold the Master Sword. Except he's not ready. So he's sealed in the Sacred Realm, seven years of his life-poof!-gone. Hyrule's falling apart, and he has to awaken the Sages to help him seal away Ganondorf, who got his hands on the Triforce of Power. He finds the six sages, beats temples, removes curses, lotsa good stuff. And finally, Princess Zelda shows up-then Ganondorf takes her. She manages to tell him that he's got the Triforce of Courage, and she's got Wisdom. He goes to save her, and kills Ganondorf. Boom. Done. But he rises up as a monster of darkness, and the kid, sixteen, barely manages to seal him away in the Sacred Realm. And Princess Zelda sends him back in time with the ocarina, to regain the years he lost, and prevent Ganon's rebellion." Aston turned to look at me. "And the kid can prove the tale."

I took a deep breath and stood. "The song of the Royal Family, Zelda's Lullaby." I sang the song, and the King leaned forward a bit. "And the Song of Time." Again, I sang. "I also know the Minuet of Forest, the Bolero of Fire, and a few other songs, but I don't think I need to sing anymore." Then I held up my left hand, displaying the Triforce yet again. "And this is the mark that proves I'm destined to receive the Triforce." I sat back down.

"So, you see," Aston continued, "the kid is only trying to protect Hyrule."

Ganondorf stood. "Your honor?" He looked expectantly at the justice.

"Go on, sir."

"If the child has already spoken with the Princess, and been in the town, the so-called 'evidence' means nothing."

"Link?" The judge looked back at me, and so I stood.

"Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo. Born as a male, you automatically had rights to rule your tribe. But you couldn't stop there, could you? Hyrule, and the Triforce, had to be yours." I turned to face the townspeople. "I've seen it. I've seen it all. Monsters in the untouchable forest. Gorons, captured and held in cages. Zora's Domain, frozen. Kakariko Village burning to the ground. Even the Gerudo were under attack. And it was all because of you." I whirled around to face my enemy yet again. "And how did you know those things about me? Where I was raised? My full name? I never knew my parents, and I honestly thought I was one of the Kokiri. If I hadn't already been sixteen, and found the truth, you would know more about me than even I knew. Were you possibly preparing for my accusation? Did you hear of Zelda's dream, and find ways to eliminate every possible threat?" My eyes stayed locked on his. "How many innocent people would have been 'eliminated', had I not spoken with the King?"

Dead silence ensued. Our eyes never moved, locked in the gaze of death wishes and destined downfalls.

"Admit it. You're a liar. From the start, you wanted to rule everyone. Everything. Every aspect of this world had to be in your control."

We stood there for what felt like an eternity, a cloud of hatred separating us from the rest of the people in the room. All that existed was us, and we both had motives. He wanted the world. I wanted to save the world. Opposite forces, battling through the law. The question was, which force was stronger?

"Please, take your seats."

He and I both sat, breaking out of the reverie that had trapped us.

"We will now take a small recess. This court is temporarily adjourned."

What? A break? Why?

As Aston lead me back to my cell, I kept on trying to think up reasons that the justice would call a recess. Was it so that he could make a decision? Was there a problem? Did I do something wrong?

Aston undid my handcuffs and put me back in my cell. I sat against the wall, and he did the same on the other side.

"You did good out there, kid," he said. "I think you have a pretty good chance."

"Yeah... but is it enough?"


End file.
